RSS
Home
Alaskans angry about bear invasion
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
photo by Michael Seraphin, CO Division of Wildlife
Coyotes are one thing. Grizzly bears another.
As bears stumble out of hibernation, they seek out tried and true food sources: people's garbage cans.
Bear-human encounters in Anchorage are on the rise and the folks aren't happy. Some suggest complete annihilation of the resident bear population.
Concern is warranted. A tangle with a grizzly is most likely fatal.
Last summer a teen girl was mauled early in the morning during a 24 hour bike race.. She nearly bled to death from her injuries.
Wildlife officials estimate there are about 65 brown bears in the vicinity.
Anchorage residents report bears seizing yards to defend a moose kill. Families are trapped in their homes or unable to go to their homes in such cases.
But the root of the bear problem is the same as Colorado's human/wildlife encounter problem: easy access to yummy garbage and pets.
The city will be issuing bear resistant trash bins to commercial businesses that dispose of food. Private residents will be fined anywhere from $50 to $300 for failing to put household trash in bear-proof containers. A second offense could cost upward of $800!
In the past, people were merely warned for failing to secure waste. Hopefully a more aggressive approach to garbage disposal and containment will cause hungry bears to search elsewhere - away from populated areas.
Related Articles:
Comments
